Holodeck safety protocol

The holographic safety protocols (also known as mortality failsafes or holodeck safeguards) were a safety subsystem of the holodeckcomputer and designed to protect the participants of a holoprogram.

Safety protocols were present to prevent serious injury of the people inside a simulation. This meant that weapons fired within the simulation would not be able to kill or that the computer could prevent dangerous situations when testing a new ship design.

That same year, Data attempted, but was unsuccessful, to override the holodeck safety protocols while recreating an unusual Borg attack on the Ohniaka III Research Station where Data became, seemingly spontaneously, angry. After attempting to increase the simulated Borg's strength by 30 percent, Data informed Geordi La Forge that the computer required the voice authorization of two senior officers to disable the safety routine and asked for his help in overriding the it. La Forge refused, but this was the only instance where two individuals were needed to disable the protocols. Data's rank was presumably insufficient to complete the procedure alone, even though Lieutenant commander was sufficient aboard other vessels like USS Voyager (VOY: "Extreme Risk"). It may have been a requirement unique to the USS Enterprise-D, or the requirement may have changed between this and other points in time. (TNG: "Descent")

In 2373, the safety protocols were disabled as part of EnsignSeska's revised Insurrection Alpha program. Her holographic form informed LieutenantsTuvok and Tom Paris of this at the beginning of the program stating that it meant "...if I shoot you, and I am going to shoot you, you'll die." Later, after Paris stated that nothing that was happening in the program was real, she had a holographic Chakotayphaser him in the arm and taunted "Next time, you'll believe me when I tell you the safety protocols are off." (VOY: "Worst Case Scenario")

In 2374, the holographic safety protocols were disabled by the Hirogen when they subjected the Voyager crew to a number of dangerous simulations. The Doctor urged that they be reactivated, as a number the ship's crew had been seriously injured. Karr, however, refused, as he felt it would eliminate the challenge of the hunt. (VOY: "The Killing Game") Later, when Captain Kathryn Janeway came up with a plan to disable the neural interfaces that were controlling the crew by using holographic explosives, she noted that with the safety protocols offline they were as good as the real thing. Later, as a number of Hirogen had been killed, the Hirogen medic urged Karr to enable the safety protocols, but at this point it was no longer possible, as the holodeck had been too badly damaged. (VOY: "The Killing Game, Part II")